This Is the Single Most Ridiculous Thing That's Been Said During the Shutdown  —  On Sunday, Sarah Palin and Ted Cruz converged on Washington, D.C., to co-headline a protest against the federal government's closure of the World War II Memorial.  It is perhaps not surprising that one of the more cynical …

Manchin: Senate is 70%-80% close to a deal  —  (CNN) - The Senate is 70% to 80% close to a deal to raise the debt ceiling and end the government shutdown, Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, said Monday on CNN's “New Day.”  —  “I think we're 70%-80% there, putting the extra 20-25% to it,” he told CNN's Chris Cuomo.

Mark Halperin: GOP ‘terms of surrender’  —  Veteran political journalist Mark Halperin said Monday that Democrats know they are winning the battle over the government shutdown and all that's left is negotiating the Republicans' “surrender.”  —  “It's just a question of the terms of surrender right now …

Commentary: U.S. fiscal failure warrants a de-Americanized world  —  As U.S. politicians of both political parties are still shuffling back and forth between the White House and the Capitol Hill without striking a viable deal to bring normality to the body politic they brag about …

The Dixiecrat Solution  —  So you have this neighbor who has been making your life hell.  First he tied you up with a spurious lawsuit; you're both suffering from huge legal bills.  Then he threatened bodily harm to your family.  Now, however, he says he's willing to compromise …

Obamacare: The Rest of the Story  —  Unless you've been bamboozled by the frantic fictions of the right wing, you know that the Affordable Care Act, familiarly known as Obamacare, has begun to accomplish its first goal: enrolling millions of uninsured Americans, many of whom have been living …

Colo. governor suggests gun-control groups stay away  —  WASHINGTON — Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper suggests national gun-control groups stay away from a looming recall battle that could switch control of the state Senate to the GOP.  The groups poured money into an unsuccessful defense …

Fearing a lost governor's race, Virginia Republicans confront party divide  —  With just three weeks remaining before the election, Republican leaders in Virginia fear that their nominee, Ken Cuccinelli II, is on his way to losing the governor's race and that the party will squander command …

GOP seizes advantage on Obamacare, White House struggles to defend: An alternative history of the past two months  —  BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL WHITE HOUSE BARACK OBAMA OBAMACARE PRESIDENT HEALTH CARE DEBT CEILING ECONOMY GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN  —  What if, instead of throwing its political energy …

Walmart shelves in Springhill, Mansfield, cleared in EBT glitch  —  Shelves in Walmart stores in Springhill and Mansfield, LA were reportedly cleared Saturday night, when the stores allowed purchases on EBT cards even though they were not showing limits.  —  The chaos that followed ultimately …

Obamacare enrollees become urban legend  —  Will the Floridians who have enrolled for Obamacare please stand up?  —  Nearly two weeks after the federal government launched the online Health Insurance Marketplace at HealthCare.gov, individuals who have successfully used the choked-up website …

Louie Gohmert: A Debt Default Is ‘An Impeachable Offense By The President’  —  Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) isn't sure whether he'll support a debt limit deal, but he is sure of one thing: a debt default would be President Barack Obama's fault.  —  A reporter for The Young Turks asked Gohmert whether …

GOPers eye Donald Trump for governor run  —  Increasingly desperate New York Republicans, seeking the political equivalent of a Hail Mary pass, are trying to get Donald Trump to run against Gov. Cuomo next year, The Post has learned.  —  They're seeking to make the case that while Trump …

Feds reviewed only one bid for Obamacare website design  —  WATCHDOG OBAMACARE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT ACCOUNTABILITY GAO  —  Federal officials considered only one firm to design the Obamacare health insurance exchange website that has performed abysmally since its Oct. 1 debut.

Photos From the Million Vets March [Updated With Ridicule of Liberals]  —  Today the Million Vets March is taking place in D.C. and around the country.  It will be interesting to see how much news coverage it receives.  I'm sure there weren't a million vets, but there were a heck of a lot of them: